Golden Years
by Pookie2
Summary: The Courier appeals to the Great Khans while Raul questions his usefulness in life.  Part 9 of the "All the Things You Are" storyline. Rated for language, violence, sexual innuendo.
1. King of the Cowboys

"That's a tall order…" the King said to Layla, looking slightly uncomfortable. "And not one I think I can fill."

The Courier felt her face fall. She'd come at Ambassador Crocker's request to try and end the attacks on NCR citizens in Freeside. Layla knew it wasn't an easy request she was making of the gang leader, but she really hadn't expected him to flat out refuse her. She glanced behind her and found Raul and Boone were both giving her neutral looks.

Turning back to the King, it seemed like he'd picked up on her distress, but didn't offer any further explanation.

"Well," Layla said, starting to hate the awkward silence that had stretched between them, "I guess I'll be on my way then."

The King nodded, looking troubled as well. Her companions joined her side as they left the stage room. Continuing for the main entrance, she found Boone was looking at her curiously.

"Doesn't he owe you a favor?" he murmured.

"Yeah, but I don't know about asking for this…" Layla chewed her lip. This was supposed to be the first step in talks about the NCR takeover. If the King wasn't on board, it could cause trouble. "Maybe Crocker's got an idea. I'd like to see the Kings get something out of this. Freeside could use any help they can get."

"I don't know how much the NCR is going to want to help, since the first time the tried the Kings nearly beat their guy to death," Raul said casually.

Layla frowned as they headed for the exit. Just as they reached the door, she heard barking. Rex nearly barreled into her, yapping happily.

"Hey buddy." Layla knelt down and vigorously rubbed the parts of the cyber dog's neck that were still flesh and fur as he happily licked her face. She stood, wiping the slobber off.

"There's got to be a solution to this," she said as Boone scratched Rex behind his ear. "Right, boy?" she said to the dog. Rex barked what she could only assume was an affirmative.

*.*.*

"I was ordered to refer you to Colonel Moore about this…" Crocker sounded hesitant. Something Layla had never heard from the man before. She fingered the label on the sarsaparilla bottle he'd offered her.

"You don't sound happy about that," she said.

"Oh, the colonel is an excellent soldier," the Ambassador answered, "but her diplomatic approach is usually showing force, then using it."

Layla bit her lip. That definitely was not what they wanted for the Kings. It would end up a blood bath.

"Do you have another suggestion?" she asked. Crocker looked torn for a moment and leaned back in his chair. A moment later, he finally spoke.

"Have you met Colonel Hsu at Camp McCarran?" he asked.

"Met him?" Layla laughed. "He lost fifty caps to me at poker a couple weeks ago."

Crocker smiled, looking unsurprised. "Good. Go see him about this. It's Colonel Moore's jurisdiction, but Hsu is more level-headed about these things."

"Won't that get you in trouble, ignoring the chain of command?" she asked.

"I might catch a little flak, but it's worth it to keep this from becoming a massacre."

*.*.*

Colonel Hsu settled in his desk chair as Layla sat across from him.

"How are things going?" he asked. "Have there been any attempts made on that bounty?"

Layla frowned, keeping herself from glancing at Boone. "There have been a few clumsy attempts. Nothing to write home about. And a couple frumentarii getting fresh, nothing new."

The colonel gave her an appraising look. Going by the raised eyebrow, he wasn't buying her nonchalance.

"You must be doing well if frumentarii are nothing to write home about."

Layla felt her cheeks start to burn and quickly changed the subject. "Anyway, we came to ask for help."

"What do you need?" the Colonel asked.

"We're still having trouble from the locals harassing NCR citizens in Freeside," she explained. The colonel looked unsurprised. "We were hoping you might be able to help. Ambassador Crocker suggested we talk to you."

"Ah." He sat back in his chair. "Freeside isn't part of my jurisdiction, but I think I understand what he's getting at. Colonel Moore can be a little… harsh."

"What is she like?" Layla asked. "All I ever hear is that everyone walks on eggshells around her."

"They're right to do so," Hsu said. "She was a ranger. She survived four tours against the Brotherhood, and was in charge of the missions that broke up the Vipers and the Jackals."

"Well, what happened?" Layla asked. "Why is she a colonel and not still a ranger?"

"She was forced off the front lines after getting wounded," Hsu said thoughtfully. "Since then, she's been in command. I think she resents it."

Layla frowned. She could understand that, she supposed. The colonel sat up, reaching into his desk for paperwork.

"If you want to smooth things over in Freeside, tell the Kings we can offer them more food and water in exchange for their cooperation. That is something I can do directly."

Nodding, the Courier smiled. "I think that will work nicely. The King is reasonable when it comes to these things."

"Overt aggression isn't going to solve this problem," Hsu agreed. "I'll send an envoy later today. Meet them there and hopefully this can all be solved peaceably."

*.*.*

"We'd better talk to the Followers sooner or later about all this rhubarb too…" Layla said, then let out a loud sigh as she, Boone and Raul were winding their way through Freeside's cracked, dirty streets.

"I need to start writing this stuff down. There's so much to remember."

"With your keen wit, I'm sure you'll be fine, boss," Raul said.

"Uh huh," Layla answered, looking over her shoulder to give him a raised eyebrow. Looking back toward the road ahead, she suddenly stopped.

"Is that guy waving at us?" she asked, looking down a nearby alley. There was a man waving his arms to get their attention. Raul shook his head. These Freeside thugs weren't very clever. No one in their right mind would follow some stranger in the middle of this demilitarized zone down a dark alley.

"…What do you think he wants?"

Except maybe Layla. Raul sighed as the girl started walking in the man's direction. The ghoul noticed Boone already had his rifle in hand as they followed.

"You know this is a trap, right?" the Raul asked. Layla laughed.

"You don't really think someone would try something this lame, do you?" she said as the man led her further into the alley. The girl looked at behind the dumpster the man had indicated, then looked up at him, eyebrows raised.

"That guy's dead." The Freesider was giving her a sinister look as Raul noticed a few other men enter the alley behind him and Boone. The mechanic caught the glint of a knife in one's hand.

"Yeah, and you're gonna join hi-" The man was cut off as Boone shot a round through his face. Raul quickly dispatched the two men who'd joined them. Once it was all over, Layla looked back at Raul and Boone. She bit her lip and smiled sheepishly at them, then left the alley quickly, before anyone could speak. Raul shook his head as he and Boone followed her.

"I don't know why the Legion's having so much trouble catching you, boss," the ghoul said. "All they need to do is tape a sign that says 'mystery' to the inside of a cage."

Boone snorted loudly. Layla stopped in her tracks and turned to face both men. Raul knew that look: high indignity.

"You're both banished from New Vegas," she said, sounding offended. "As acting ruler, I am banishing you, forever. Never come back."

Raul sighed. "Have we heard an update on how much she's worth?" he asked Boone. The sniper shook his head.

"No, but a million for each of us is a pretty good deal."

"Agreed. Let's get her."

Layla opened her mouth to respond, but instead let out a shriek as Boone turned her way, grabbing her.

"Easy money," he said casually as he tossed her over his shoulder.

"Let me down, you shaved gorilla!" she laughed.

Raul shook his head at them, then looked around, a little surprised no Kings had come by to see what the commotion was about. Peeking his head around the corner toward the impersonation school, he discovered the reason. There were two NCR soldiers posted at the doors, rifles in hand.

"Uh, boss? You might want to see this," he said, looking back to the others. Layla stopped laughing, and Boone set her down. She stepped around the corner to see what he was talking about.

"That can't be good." She rushed toward the entrance, the others following.

"Sorry, Ma'am, it's too dangerous to let you in yet," said a young-looking soldier with 'Hodgkin' stenciled on his dusty fatigues as he and the other guard blocked the door.

"What? Why is it dangerous?" Layla furrowed her eyebrows in concern.

"The Kings put up resistance. We're still trying to get them under control."

Going by the Courier's face, she hadn't been expecting violence from the NCR arrival. Looking horrified, she spoke to the soldier again.

"You have to let me in. People are going to get hurt," she said.

"We are to prevent you from getting injured in the process," Hodgkin answered. "Colonel Hsu made that clear."

"Oh for the love of…" She bit her lip, thinking. Before she was able to speak again, Boone stepped forward.

"She's the diplomat in charge of this operation," he said, keeping his voice just above a growl. The two men at the door looked at each other for a moment. Raul stifled a laugh; if it had been anyone else besides NCR troopers, the sniper probably would have just barreled through them.

"Well… the shooting's already stopped…" the other soldier said, looking nervously at the sniper. Layla gasped.

"Shooting?" She wedged herself between the two men, elbowing her way past them into the building. Boone and Raul followed in her wake. The entry room was deserted, and she rushed through the open door into the stage room.

"What is going on in here?" the Courier cried. There were nearly a dozen NCR soldiers in the room, all with guns drawn. Nearly the same number of Kings stood with their hands in the air. Another two on the ground, one bleeding.

The Courier knelt next to the closest injured man, pulling medical equipment from her pack. Judging by the items she brought out, Raul guessed the man had only been grazed.

"I need an explanation," The King's voice rung out in the room. "These soldier boys just barged in and said they were keeping us here until you arrived."

"What?" Layla cried as she finished bandaging the wounded man. She stood, looking furious.

"Who's in charge here?" One of the soldiers stepped forward.

"Sergeant Cheng, Ma'am." The man looked nervous as he approached her.

"Why are you holding everyone at gun point? This is a peaceful negotiation!"

"One of their members pulled a gun, Ma'am," Cheng answered.

Layla groaned. "Tell them to lower their weapons."

"Ma'am it's-"

"_Now_."

The sergeant looked like he was going to protest, but eventually nodded to his men. As both they and the Kings lowered their arms, Layla made her way to The King. Boone and Raul followed her, and the ghoul noticed the younger man taking careful note of the placement of the gang members around him. He understood why: everyone in the room looked like they were ready to start shooting.

"I'm sorry, this isn't how this was supposed to go…" Layla sounded sick as she spoke to the gang leader.

"What is this all about?" he asked, and she sighed.

"The NCR wants to offer more food, water and power to Freeside in exchange for an active approach to stopping aggressions against NCR citizens."

The man nodded slowly. "And they want me to oversee it… Makes sense." He looked at the Kings gathered, then back at the girl. "I can do it, but this kind of mess had better not happen again."

"I agree," Layla answered. The King's dour look faded as he held out his hand to her, and the Courier smiled as she moved to shake it.

"Don't do this," Pacer cried before they'd reached each other. "You'll ruin everything!" The King turned his way.

"This isn't the time for this argument," he said, sounding irritated. Pacer motioned to the NCR troopers.

"This is _exactly _the time for this." he said angrily as he drew his gun.

"Don't do this, Pace," The King said. "I won't stand with you." Pacer faltered for just a moment before his resolve seemed to harden. Raul pulled his gun from its holster and noticed not only had Boone done the same, but so had Cheng and his men.

"I'm going to stop you from making a huge mistake," Pacer said as he aimed his pistol in Layla's direction. Before he could fire, a shot rang out, and the man fell dead. Raul didn't see whether it had been Boone or one of the NCR soldiers who'd shot him before some of the other Kings opened fire.

The room exploded into a chaos of gunfire. The attacking gang members were put down quickly, but Cheng and his men looked ready to move against the remaining Kings.

"STAND DOWN." Boone barked loudly, and the room froze to a halt. Usually at this point, Layla would throw in a comment to smooth everything over and calm everyone down. Looking her way, Raul found her staring wide-eyed. She caught his eye and he raised an eyebrow at her. She blinked, shaking away her shock as she finally spoke.

"It's over." She looked at the King, who was staring down at Pacer's body. "The fight's over."

The whole thing had happened before Raul could raise his gun. The ghoul suddenly felt old and tired.

*.*.*

"It's regrettable that there was bloodshed, but based on our intel, Pacer had been causing trouble for us for some time," Crocker said.

Layla frowned, not answering. She agreed with him. In the past, she'd tried to talk to the King about Pacer, but he'd dismissed her concerns. In the end, Pacer had shown his true colors, something the gang leader would have to come to terms with.

"Colonel Moore has asked for you to meet her at the dam." The ambassador said after giving her a moment to gather her thoughts. His tone was business-like, something she hadn't heard from him since they'd first met. "You are not under the employ of the New California Republic in an official capacity. It's just a request that you meet her, and I can't order you to do so." The familiar smile was back on his face as he continued. "I wouldn't keep her waiting though; she's got a bit of a temper."

"That's what I hear," Layla responded. "We'll head over now."

* * *

><p>I've listened to so much David Bowie and Iron Maiden in the last week.<p> 


	2. Under Western Stars

"I've heard reports about the 'Savior of the NCR,'" Colonel Moore said, and Layla felt her cheeks start burning. She had expected the woman to be a hard ass, not start throwing compliments around.

"Well, I'm just trying to help," the Courier answered.

"You've proved yourself more than capable, and that's what I need, capable people. The Legion is coming and I need people to tie up the loose ends before they do," the colonel said, sitting at her desk. "Normally I'd send my rangers to handle these kinds of issues, but they're swamped as it is. Having someone with your abilities will lighten their load."

Layla nodded, feeling a little burst of pride at getting ranger assignments.

"Now, the first thing I need done concerns a group called the Great Khans. Have you heard of them?"

The girl felt her head itch.

"We've had dealings," she answered.

"Good, then you know how much of a pain in the ass they can be," Moore continued. "We've gotten reports they might be throwing in with the Legion. I need someone to see to it they're in no condition to oppose us at the dam."

"Will the Legion be able to absorb them in time?" Layla asked, a little incredulous.

"Not likely. If they had any sense, they'd just convince them to fight as-is during the battle, then deal with whatever's left after." Layla nodded; that was just about what they had done with the White Legs in Zion.

"They probably don't know what getting 'absorbed' means," she said to the colonel. The woman gave her a mildly impressed look.

"That's true, but make no mistake about the Khans; they're no better than raiders and should be handled as such."

Layla frowned. She wasn't about to charge in, guns blazing. This situation called for some recon. Speaking of which, she glanced back at Boone. His face was in business mode, nothing betraying his feelings. She probably wouldn't be taking him to the Khan settlement. Too much bad blood and memories.

Looking back to the colonel, she found herself growing curious. The woman was a former ranger, which meant she probably had a lot of good intel on the coming battle.

"Do we know what the Legion's up to? Is there any guess on how long until they'll attack?"

Again the woman looked impressed with her question. "Because of the upset in command, we think everyone's trying to figure out their roles and their plans for the dam. Our best guess is Lanius will wait until a few weeks before the monsoon rolls in. The heat and barometer pressure will make our troops irritable. They'll see it as a weakness to exploit."

Layla nodded. "That makes sense."

"I understand you've met key members of the Legion's command," Moore started, sounding a little cautious in her tone. "Is there anything you can tell me from your time at Fortification Hill?"

"Oh." The Courier should have guessed this would come up. She frowned at the question anyway. "I don't know how much help I'll be now. I never met Lanius, and I'm sure you already know what I know about Vulpes Inculta: he's a jackass." The colonel smirked slightly, and Layla continued.

"Honestly, I spoke the most with Caesar and Lucius, and they're both dead."

Moore nodded, sighing. "That's about what we figured."

"Oh!" Layla said. "Oh, I do have something; they had a couple howitzers at the Fort." Biting her lip for a moment, she pulled her Pip-Boy to her arm and consulted her map.

"Yeah, going by the distance and the way they were positioned, they're aimed at the dam." The colonel looked grim as she pulled open one the neatly stacked folders on her desk and wrote in it. "They didn't have the firing mechanisms when I was last there… but I don't think it's safe to assume they won't find them."

"Thank you," Moore said, finishing what she was writing. "That is helpful. It's impressive what you and your team accomplished there."

"Oh, well, this is my 'team,'" she said, indicating the two men at her sides. "More like it's their team. They were rescuing me from a slight overstep in 'negotiations.'"

Moore pointed a mildly curious look at Boone and Raul, then nodded.

"The NCR owes you all for killing Caesar," she said, "and for your continuing help with our preparations."

"Well, I'm happy to help."

Colonel Moore's face lightened with a ghost of a smile. "Glad to hear the enthusiasm. Keep me appraised of the situation."

*.*.*

"Gorobets! What are you doing here?" Layla called down the hall. They'd been winding their way out of the Hoover Dam offices after their meeting when she spotted a soldier wearing a 1st Recon beret. The man turned her way, face breaking into a smile when he spotted the girl. He and an older man in a ranger uniform walked her way.

"We're just getting some updated orders," Gorobets said, smiling.

"Hello Corporal Sterling." The Courier adopted the polite demeanor she reserved for people much older than herself. The graying man smiled at her.

"Hello Layla, Boone," he said, nodding to the sniper, who nodded back.

"Have you met Raul?" Layla asked, looking at the pair. They shook their heads and the Courier stepped aside so they could see the ghoul fully in the cramped hall.

"Lieutenant Gorobets and Corporal Sterling, this is Raul Tejada, one of the folks I dupe in to shooting cazadores off me."

Gorobets held out a hand to Raul, which the ghoul shook. He smiled easily.

"Anyone who keeps our courier out of trouble is a friend in 1st Recon's book."

"Oh, there's no keeping her out of trouble," Raul answered.

Layla's hands were on her hips. "Excuse me," she turned, looking Boone's way. "I saved him last."

"Oh really?" Gorobets laughed. "What did you do?"

"I shiskebabed a bunch of tribals off him," she said matter-of-factly. "He was surrounded."

"Well, Boone always seems to have trouble with tribals…" The lieutenant turned a smile in the sniper's direction. If Raul didn't know better, he'd swear Boone was blushing.

"There was that one time he and Manny were scouting north of Vegas." The man turned to Sterling. "Have you heard this one?"

"Yes sir, but it's always good to hear it again." the corporal said, grinning.

"We have to get going," Boone said suddenly, sounding very uncomfortable. "Colonel Moore gave us orders."

"Uh huh," Layla said, grinning knowingly. "We'll have to talk later, Lieutenant. See you guys later."

"You'll have to hear it from Betsy, she tells it better," Gorobets called as Boone quickly led them away.

*.*.*

"Do you know Corporal Sterling very well?" Raul asked later, after they'd made it back to the Lucky 38. It had been late afternoon when they'd gotten back from the dam. Layla had wanted to move out at first light in the morning for Red Rock Canyon. The girl put the book she'd been reading down and smiled.

"Sterling? Well, I know a little about him. He's got a son and granddaughter in California. Wife passed away a few years ago. Real nice guy, well sorta." She looked up at him. "You ever see a ranger go from buddy-buddy to business mode? Scary. Sterling's no different. I think its actually scarier with him because he's like a nice old grandpa before he switches."

"Why is he in 1st Recon?" the ghoul asked. Layla's smile melted.

"He… Well, he got captured by the Legion when they were first scouting the Mojave. They tortured him, mangled his hands and feet. Then the idiots didn't tie him up when they left him alone, so he crawled on his elbows and knees to the river. Couple other rangers found him and got him patched up."

She sighed. "That was it for him in the rangers. He asked if there was anywhere he could still serve, and Gorobets scooped him up."

"What do you think about him?" the ghoul asked.

"He wanted to serve and found a way to do it. He's a tough guy, Gorobets was smart to pick him up." She shrugged. "Though if he'd retired, I'm sure he would have found something to do, like Ranger Andy in Novac."

Raul looked contemplative, and Layla spoke up again.

"We're not just talking about Ranger Sterling or Andy, are we?"

"No," he admitted as he sat on her couch. "I grew up in a place called Hildago Ranch. It was just a small farm, but three generations of Tejadas lived there. It wasn't far from Mexico City, but enough that we weren't directly hit when the bombs fell.

"After they did fall, refugees started pouring out of the city. We helped as many as we could, but eventually we had to start turning people away, or we'd run out of food. My father and I had to drive off a group when things got violent." His voice started to sound more somber as he continued.

"That night, two dozen men came back. They set the farm house on fire and barred the doors from the outside. I smelled the smoke and got myself and my little sister, Rafaela, out.

"My mother, father, grandmother, my two brothers, and two of my sisters all died in that fire."

Layla covered her mouth in horror.

"What did you do then?" she asked.

"Rafaela and I ran. Some of the men pursued us, but I was always good with a gun. I didn't go after any that hadn't come after us. I had to look after Rafaela."

He looked away from her, focusing on the wall.

"You don't blame yourself, do you?" Layla asked. He shrugged.

"Maybe. All I know is, for all my skill with a pistol, I couldn't help them."

The Courier bit her lip, trying to think of something to say. A moment later Raul spoke again, sounding more like his normal self.

"Anyway, thanks for letting me get that off my chest. It was weighing on my mind."

Layla nodded, frowning.

"Layla! Are you ready?" came a bellow from the hallway, and the Courier jumped to her feet.

"Coming!" she cried. She turned to Raul. "Lily's teaching me to bake cookies."

"Anything that ends with more cookies sounds good to me, boss," he replied. Layla hesitated at the door.

"Are you okay?" she asked, hating to leave so suddenly.

"Go on. This old man's going to take a nap on your couch."

"Don't drool on it," she said as she left the room. Lily was waiting for her in the kitchen, and soon they were going over mixing techniques and baking times.

"I really appreciate this, Gra- uh, Lily." When they'd visited Jacobstown last, Doc Henry had taken her aside to tell her about the nightkin's schizophrenia treatment. Lily's progression had been slow, and the doctor had asked she stop calling her 'Grandma,' as it exacerbated the problem. Layla complied, wanting to help the nightkin with her treatment, but she had to admit it made her sad. With their 'grandma' around, it felt like the group was really a little family.

"You're welcome, dearie."

Scooping more dough onto the tray, she did concede calling Lily 'Grandma' was just a superficial thing. Their group had certainly gotten close over the last few months. Besides, she and Veronica were the only ones who called her that anyway. The tray was soon full and Lily popped it in the oven.

"So… is it true I shouldn't eat the dough before it gets baked?" Layla asked, eyeing the spoon in the bowl.

"Yes it is!" Lily admonished. "You'll get sick!"

"Oh. Oh well," the girl said, frowning as she moved to clean the bowl. Lily reached over her and took the spoon, licking it clean. She noticed Layla gaping at her accusingly.

"You will get sick, dear. Not me."

Just as she was about to form a retort, Boone and Raul came into the kitchen.

"They won't be done for ten more minutes," Lily said knowingly, and both men sat at the table to wait. Layla shook her head at them; she couldn't even smell the dough yet, and here they were.

"What's the plan?" Boone asked.

"I'm going in the morning. I uh," she fidgeted, hoping what she was about to say wasn't going to cause a problem. "I figured you probably shouldn't go."

He nodded at that, then glanced at the oven. Lily tapped the egg timer in response.

"Wait, so you don't mind staying behind?" Layla asked, eyebrow raising in suspicion. The sniper seemed to have caught the disbelief in her statement, crossing his arms over his chest.

"You're taking Raul, right?"

"Well, yeah," she said, glancing at the ghoul. "You want to go, right?"

"You're the boss," Raul answered, and Layla turned back to Boone.

"You'll be fine," the sniper said. Raul found Layla's reaction interesting. She smiled at first, but an irritated look ghosted over her features.

"You know, I don't need a chaperone everywhere I go. I keep telling you people I used to travel alone until just a few months ago."

"And you got shot in the head," Boone replied. That didn't seem to make the Courier happy, and Raul caught the subtle softening in the sniper's face.

"The Great Khans are dangerous," he continued. "Violent and unpredictable. It wouldn't be a good idea for anyone to go alone." Layla's frown lessened, and she sighed.

"Yeah, I know. I just… I'm not a helpless idiot."

"Didn't say you were," Boone answered. "You just… get in trouble a lot."

"Trouble you usually walk directly into," Raul added. Layla looked his way, hands on her hips.

"What are you two even doing here? I thought I banished you both."

Raul looked at Boone, who nodded. Layla hid behind Lily before he could move against her.

"Anyone who attacks the Ruler of New Vegas won't get cookies. Right, Lily?"

"Of course, dearie."

Neither man stood from table, going back to patiently waiting.

*.*.*

"So what happened after you and your sister escaped the ranch?"Layla asked the next morning, carefully picking her way over the broken pavement outside the Strip as they headed for the Great Khan camp. Raul sighed. He'd known mentioning his younger life would get the girl asking questions. He'd tried to prepared himself for it, but the memories were still painful.

Looking back to her, he saw the Courier's curious look turning serious, probably understanding this wasn't easy for him to talk about.

"After we ran, things were bad. The men who'd attacked our home were still after me. They even put a bounty out on me. My sister was pretty scared, but I'd told her if she came with me, she'd see the vaqueros."

"Vaqueros?" Layla asked, looking his way.

"Trick riders at rodeos. Rafaela used to love them. Anyway, we went to Mexico city."

"Wasn't the city destroyed?"

"We were pretty young. We didn't understand about the bombs. By the time we got there, it was just a radioactive ruin. We scavenged to get by, always looking for food or medicine for my burns, dodging the raider tribes that were starting to form." He sighed.

"Then the radiation kicked in, turning me into this handsome devil." He noticed the Courier giving him a sympathetic smile before it melted to a frown.

"Sounds like things were pretty bad."

"You're a poet for understatement, boss." He noted the eyebrow she raised at him and continued. "It wasn't all bad, though. I had found a costume shop one day while I was out. Inside there was a vaquero outfit, just sitting there, untouched. I wore it back to our camp. That was the first time Rafaela laughed since we'd left home." The Courier smiled.

"Is it flashy? The Vaquero getup?"

"It wasn't silk and sequins, but it was noticeable," he said. Layla laughed.

"Well, I'm sure you made a statement with it."

"I did, but it caused more trouble than it headed off. People started talking about me, and soon young punks were trying to test themselves against me. But my eyes were sharp and my guns quick.

"For a while, it looked like things were going to be okay. But then… Rafaela." A lump formed in his throat. Layla has stopped walking. She turned to face him directly.

"What happened?" she asked, not completely sounding like she wanted to hear the answer.

"She had gone out to get food from a nearby market. I was sick from the radiation, so I stayed home. It was supposed to be safe, but a band of raiders came by while she was there." He paused. "I won't speak of what they did to her."

The girl looked horrified, and he turned away before speaking again.

"I was only able to identify her by this funny little scar on her knee she got when she was a kid."

There was silence after that. Just as he was about to turn back, he felt Layla's arms wrap around him.

"I'm sorry," she whispered. Raul didn't respond, instead turning around to face her. The girl looked like she was fighting back tears as she squeezed him. Hugging back, the ghoul thought of his family, now long dead. The Courier had a big family too, only one that hadn't been torn apart by the wastes. He sincerely hoped she'd never have to face the horrors he had. She let him go, and he felt compelled to continue.

"After I found her, I guess I went a little crazy. I took my guns and went back to the market. After I'd finished with the raiders, I was tired. I just wanted to be alone forever." He saw her questioning look.

"I had failed them all. I was the last Tejada. I went to the Gulf Coast and found a Petro-Chico refinery no one had claimed. The guns I'd lived by had only caused me grief, so I hung up the Vaquero outfit and put on a Petro-Chico jumpsuit. The name tag said Miguel, so I started going by that. Eventually I made my way to Arizona… but that's another story, boss."

Layla didn't say anything for a while after that, and Raul let his mind wander as they continued down the road again. The Courier turned his way to speak, when she seemed to notice something off his side of the road.

"What is that?" the girl said, and Raul turned to look. A building with a tall structure attached was visible.

"Looks like a bottle," he answered. The girl gasped as the 'label' became clearer.

"It's the Sunset Sarsaparilla company!"

"Huh." Raul didn't quite understand why she was so excited.

"That's where the star cap treasure is! Let's go!" Layla hopped from foot to foot.

"That's just an old marketing gimmick to get kids to buy mo-" He was cut off when the girl grabbed his hand and started dragging him toward the building.

"I've got thirty caps. That's gotta be enough. We just need to find Festus!"

The ghoul sighed as he was dragged along.

*.*.*

The building was dark and quiet. That wasn't a surprise; most buildings in the wastes were. But something about this particular building was unnerving as Layla slowly made her way into the foyer. It felt like someone was watching her.

Glancing back, she found Raul was still behind her, pistol drawn. She looked markedly at the weapon.

"Is this place creeping you out too?" she asked.

"No, I'm just looking out for security robots."

"Oh." The Courier tried to shrug off her growing unease. "There's supposed to be-"

"Howdy Partner!"

Layla shrieked, looking wildly to her side to find a person staring at her. Or what she'd thought was a person: it looked like a cross between a cartoonish puppet and a nightmare robot cowboy torso. One of its arms was ripped off, lying at its side and one eye dangled from its socket. Layla could make out a few bullet holes as well, unsurprisingly. She'd have shot it if her weapon had been drawn.

"Welcome to the headquarters of the Sunset Sarsaparilla Company!" it squawked at them.

"It's like look into a mirror," said Raul, taking a step toward the machine. "A tacky, cowboy festooned mirror." Layla hid behind him, peeking out from his side.

"Is… is that Festus?" she asked.

"I think so," Raul said, moving closer.

"If you're here to redeem Sunset Sarsaparilla star caps, just put them in the slot!" the robot cried. Turning toward Layla, the ghoul raised an eyebrow at her.

"Well? Isn't this what we're here for?"

"Okay, okay, I'm… going." She moved cautiously toward the robot, pulling a sack from her pocket. Dumping the caps into the machine, she backed away as Festus started speaking again.

"Wowee!" Festus yelled. "That's quite a bit. Keep collecting Sunset Sarsaparilla star caps and you might win a prize!"

"Not enough…" Layla said, frowning. "All this way and all these impending Festus-filled nightmares for nothing."

Raul sighed heavily and started digging through his pack. A moment later, he pulled out a bag.

"Here, boss. I've been saving these since I got to the Mojave… before I was brought into Tabitha's care that is."

Taking the offered bag, Layla opened it to find a pile of star bottle caps.

"Holy crap!" She looked his way. "Are you sure?"

"Yeah yeah, let's find out what this treasure is."

Grinning, she started feeding the caps in. About halfway through the bag, the puppet-robot-cowboy started hollering.

"Waaaaaaho! You did it partner! Bully for you! I suppose you'll be wanting your prize now?"

"Yeah," Layla said. Raul hadn't even noticed she'd hid behind him again.

"Well sit back and listen. Few people have ever hear the story of the Sunset Sarsaparilla company! It's quite an honor."

"Uh huh," Raul said. He glanced down at Layla, who was peeking around his elbow at the robot. She looked torn between curiosity and horror.

"And now, without further ado, your prize: the Legend of the Star," Festus continued.

"Looong ago, people didn't have a heap of choices when it came to drinks; it was water or Nuka-Cola."

"Sunset Sarsaparilla came out before Nuka-Cola," Raul said, and Layla shushed him.

"One day, the owner of a saloon in a small town was trying to come up with a new soft drink. He asked his patrons what flavor he should make it. Well one man said he should make a sarsaparilla flavored drink. He offered to share his family's recipe on one condition: that he could sample the drink free of cost at any time, to make sure it was up to his family's quality.

"Well, the saloon owner readily agreed, and they were to meet the next day at sundown. Well the next morning, the sheriff came by to inform him the stranger had been killed by bandits.

"The saloon owner was pretty upset, and closed down his bar early. When he came back from locking his doors, he found a strange bottle with a note under it. It was the recipe the stranger had promised, sealed with blue wax in the shape of a star!

"The saloon owner went on to become rich off the drink, and to this day some Sunset Sarsaparilla bottles still have a the blue star. Some say it was the saloon owner honoring the stranger. Others say it was the stranger sampling the drink like he promised.

"And that's the Legend of the Star! I hope you enjoyed it, and I hope you keep enjoying Sunset Sarsaparilla!"

"Wait… That's it?" Layla gaped.

"The treasure is finding out the owner of the company murdered someone and stole his recipe?" Raul said. "I guess it's a business lesson."

"That can't be it," Layla said, frowning. "Is that it?" she asked the robot.

"In response to the numerous complaints lodged to the Sunset Sarsaparilla Company about the prize awarded for redeeming star caps, another prize has been offered for even the most discerning of Sunset Sarsaparilla fans!" Festus explained. "Just head through the double doors and down the hall to your left. An attendant will be waiting to give you your prize!"

"Oh, there we go," Layla said. "We just need to go down the… hall." She stopped as she found that the hallway was blocked by the caved in ceiling. She brought up a map of the building on her Pip-boy.

"If we go through this room, climb through the ceiling and hope there's another hole to drop through, we'll be able to get to the other side…"

"Sounds like a great idea," Raul said sarcastically.

*.*.*

"All righty, this is it," the Courier said as she reached to open the door at the end of the hallway. They had climbed up through the wreckage of one room and down another. Raul was still surprised neither of them had broken their necks in the process.

A blast of air escaped as she opened the door. It led to what looked like a storage room. Boxes were arranged on wooden shelves. Larger crates lined the walls. Everything was stamped with the Sunset Sarsaparilla logo.

Stepping further in, she found the body of a man. Looking over the corpse for a moment, she determined he'd died of asphyxiation.

"Don't let the door close!" she cried, turning to find Raul had already propped it open with a crate.

"Oh…good," she said as the ghoul shook his head at her.

"Who's your friend?" Raul asked as he joined her. Layla shrugged.

"No clue." Taking a interesting-looking laser pistol off the ground near him, she stowed it in her pack. She moved on to his body, poking around his belongings. There wasn't much of consequence until she found a holotape. She flicked it on, and the crackling recording played a man's voice between labored gasps.

"I guess this is it. Not much air left now. Minutes, maybe. And this is all I have to show for it. I guess the joke's on me. Prolly shouldn't have killed... all those people, Prolly shoulda stayed at home... and taken care of my ma. She... always used to say people who... murder and steal... die bad in the end. Said they…"

"Huh. This must be Allen Marks," Layla said. Raul gave her a curious look, and she continued. "The first night Boone and I traveled together, this guy ran up and warned us about an Allen Marks. Said he killed people for their star caps, hoping to get the treasure."

"So where is it?" Raul asked, looking around the room again.

Layla bit her lip and looked at the man again, noticing a tin badge pinned to his armor. It had the Sunset Sarsaparilla logo on it. She'd noticed a few boxes of the badges in the storage room.

"Oh, you've got to be kidding me." She looked up at Raul, who was poking through the crates, "These are the 'prizes.'"

"They would have been pretty popular with pre-war kids," he said thoughtfully. "There is a bright side for us, though."

Layla raised an eyebrow at him, and he dug a hand into one of the crates. Layla gaped as he pulled up a handful of caps.

"It's nearly full of them," the ghoul remarked.

Layla grinned. She collected a few of the badges, stowing them in her pack. She pinned one to the front of her sneaking armor, then made her way to Raul.

"I hereby deputize you," she said, pinning another badge to the front of his jumpsuit.

"What an honor," he said flatly. "My dreams are finally coming true."

* * *

><p>Big thanks to my editor, without him this would be an unreadable mess. And thank you for reading (and reviewing, favoriting or alerting, if you feel like it)!<p>

Also, a little birdie (Jason Bergman [New Vegas' Senior Producer]) tells me Lonesome Road will be here this month! :D


	3. She Wore a Yellow Ribbon

Well, that little birdie made a liar out of both of us: Jason Bergman just announced Lonesome Road won't be out this month. Oh well. In all honesty, it's kind of a relief for me. With this project it would have been some rough timing. That, and I guess I'm going to be a little sad once the DLCs are done. No more new stuff for New Vegas :( Anywho, enjoy the new chapter!

* * *

><p>"Have I mentioned I've got a bad feeling about this, boss?" Raul asked as he and Layla made their way to the Great Khans' longhouse.<p>

"What could be giving you a bad feeling about… Hey! I know that guy!" She pointed to a Khan with a spiked Mohawk. "He's one of the Khans Benny hired to kidnap me before he shot me."

Turning back to the ghoul, she found him giving her that strained patience look everyone seemed to make at her. She bit her lip and gave him a placating smile.

"It'll be okay. A few of them know me from the time I negotiated a hostage release."

"Who had the hostages?"

"Um… the Khans." She bit her lip. "It all turned out well, so I'm sure they'll be happy to see me." Raul shook his head and sighed.

"So we're just going to barge into their leader's place and tell them to keep away from the Legion?"

"Not in so many words, but yeah," she said, reaching for the longhouse's door. "This shouldn't be a hard sell. The Khans are proud, which means if the Legion's been here, they've been lying through their teeth about what joining will mean for the tribe."

Walking in, they found the building full of people sitting at tables and eating. Most of the Khans gave them curious looks as they went by, and Layla noted there wasn't any open hostility. Making their way to the head table, Layla found the man she quickly determined to be 'Papa Khan,' the Great Khan leader, looking their way.

"Well, the cub enters the wolf's den," he said. "What do you want, cub?" His tone was amused rather than threatening. Layla briefly wondered how much he knew about her. Willing away the thought, she spoke, having already decided on the blunt strategy that warlike people tended to favor.

"I'm here to dissuade you from joining the Legion," she said simply. The man sitting next to Papa Khan at the table looked up. He gazed at her for a moment, and suddenly looked like he'd seen a ghost. The Khan leader laughed.

"Well, aren't you bold. Caesar has promised us the land from here to the Colorado, which we are free to raid. Karl is seeing to our preparation." He indicated the man next to him. Layla nodded, figuring that was the case, given his reaction.

She was suddenly aware of how many people were in the building with them. They would be outnumbered five-to-one in close quarters. Just as she was trying to figure a way to get herself and Raul out of this, Papa Khan spoke again.

"My people will be joining the Legion, but I suppose it has yet to become official. You are free to stay with us until things are finalized." He chucked. "If you think you can dissuade us, you are free to try."

Layla hadn't been expecting that, and judging by Karl's face, neither had he. Just as the Legionary looked like he was going to speak up, the Khan looked his way.

"I mean no disrespect to you or your Legion. If the cub is willing to come all this way, we will hear her out."

The man looked like he was having trouble containing his ire, but managed to swallow it.

"Very well, Papa Khan," he said.

"Excellent," the older man said, then turned his attention back to Layla and Raul. "You are welcome to our camp." His jovial tone turned serious. "You are free to stay, and no harm will come to you, so long as you don't raise your hands against us or our guests." He pointed a look at Karl, who merely nodded.

"We understand." She glanced back at Raul, who nodded. "Thank you, Papa Khan."

"I'm not sure what you'll be able to accomplish, cub, but you are welcome."

*.*.*

"Well, I figured out why I have a bad feeling," Raul said as they exited the longhouse. "I think it has something to do with the Khans already joining the Legion and a frumentarius giving you the evil eye."

"Oh Raul, so untrusting," Layla said, shaking her head. "Papa Khan's giving us a chance, and we're under his protection. So there's nothing to worry about."

"Uh huh." He was about to speak again when the door opened again, and one of the men from the head table stepped out.

"You want to stop Papa Khan from joining the Legion…" the man said. Layla nodded. "I want to talk to you a about that."

"I didn't catch your name…" the Courier said.

"I'm Regis. I enforce the tribe's law, and I'm Papa's right hand man. Papa Khan listens to me, and I know how to get him to change his mind. Just speaking to him will get you nowhere. He's fixated on restoring the Great Khans' glory and sees the Legion as the way to do it. I think his hatred of the NCR is poisoning his mind."

"So what do we do?" Layla asked.

"He might be fixated, but he isn't a tyrant; he'll listen to his top advisors. That would be myself, Jack, Diane, and Melissa. If you can convince us, we can convince him."

"If you're talking to us about this, why do we have to convince you?" Raul asked.

"Because I only have hunches with no evidence, and I'm not about to speak out against Papa Khan with nothing to back me up."

Layla was biting her lip, thinking. After a moment, she brightened up.

"I think I have something that will convince you." She dropped her pack on the ground and started digging through it. A moment later she produced a small ledger.

"I picked this up at Fortification Hill. It's a detailed account of the tribes that have 'joined' the Legion and what happened to them."

Regis took the book and started leafing through it. His face turned pale as he read.

"This… this is worse than I thought." He looked up at Layla and Raul. "Any tribe the Legion took on was split apart and enslaved. This has confirmed my fears. You have my support. All you need to do is get the others to side with you, and Papa will listen."

*.*.*

Layla and Raul made their way up the winding path of the canyon to a boxed area. In it were a few trailers and lounge chairs. On one of the chairs a man was sprawled out. Raul detected the unmistakable scent of Psycho cooking, and peered into one of the trailers as they passed. This canyon was clearly a drug lab.

Glancing at the Courier, he found her approaching the man on the lawn chair.

"Hello there, kitten," the man said, stretching lazily. "You here to buy?"

"No thanks," she said. Raul could here the strained politeness in her tone. She never approved of illegal chem use. If the man on the chair had noticed it, it didn't show.

"Then what can I do for you?"

"Are you Jack?" Layla asked.

"That's me," he said, smiling. "This here's me and Diane's little slice of heaven. I cook the goods, and she does the sales."

"Ah," Layla said. "Well, I'm Layla and this is Raul." she gestured back to the ghoul. "We're guests of Papa Khan." She sat on the other lounge chair. "I hear you guys might be joining the Legion. Regis says you and Diane are important to the Khans. How do you feel about that?"

"Well, we don't make any big decisions, but we make most of the money for the tribe," Jack said. "Drug sales have kept us afloat during the hard times we've had after Bitter Springs."

The Courier winced just slightly, though Raul didn't know if it was because of Bitter Springs or the drugs. Jack continued, holding a hand in front of his eyes to block the sun in his eyes.

"I don't really go for the political stuff, that's what Papa Khan and Regis are for. As long as Diane and I can stay together, we're happy with things the way they are."

"You think things will stay that way if you join the Legion?" Layla said, crossing her arms over her chest as she looked around the drug lab. "I take it Karl didn't mention the Legion's strict anti-chem rules either, huh?"

"Woah, what?" Jack nearly fell out of his chair sitting up. "Are you serious?"

"I'm afraid so," she answered. The Khan looked mortified.

"That's… that's bogus. Karl never said that." Jack said. He looked over Layla's shoulder.

"Did you hear what the kitten said, Diane?" She turned to see a woman with scraggily blonde hair had emerged from one of the trailers. The woman's face was grim as she spoke.

"Are you sure about this?" she asked. Layla nodded.

"I was at their base once, they confiscated all my chems, even my stimpaks. But never mind the drug stuff, they don't just let people join. Men get indoctrinated as soldiers and women get sold as slaves."

Both Khans looked startled at that. A moment later, Jack spoke again.

"We're going to have a pow-wow with Papa Khan about this. That's so not cool."

"I'm glad you feel that way," Layla said.

*.*.*

Oh. This was bad. Very bad. The Great Khans had been eating out of his hand, so much so that he'd already sent word back to the Fort that they'd agreed to join the Legion. He hadn't really lied, just bent the truth. Lanius had been pushing everyone to get things done quicker and quicker. Combine that with his dislike of the Frumentarii, and Karl had been told that if he didn't get results quickly, he'd wind up on a cross.

Word of the White Legs' failure had already reached the Legate. More importantly, it turned out the Courier had been responsible for the tribe's defeat. It had been Caesar who ordered the New Canaanites destroyed, but his reasons had never been made clear. Lanius hadn't been furious because of their failure to wipe out the New Canaanites; they weren't really important to the coming battle. But because it had been the same girl who'd killed Caesar and foiled most of the Mojave campaign personally, he'd been livid.

Now the girl was here, actively trying to undermine his efforts. An idiot could punch holes in his story: he'd lied to just about every Khan about their absorption. The Courier, on the other hand, would probably have them stringing him up by his toenails by the end of the day.

Karl had to admit, she wasn't what he'd expected. When tales of the woman who'd taken back Nelson and killed Caesar surfaced, he'd expected a battle-hardened amazon of a woman. Instead she was short, weak and overly cheerful.

Looking up, he started when he realized the Courier and her ghoul were walking down the path in his direction.

"Oh hey Karl," the girl said, sounding overly sweet. "Jack and Diane didn't realize the Legion doesn't allow chems. Isn't that funny?"

He glared openly at her, and she simply smiled, walking away, the ghoul chuckling after her. He wasn't about to panic; he was a frumentarius.

In fact, he'd just gotten an idea.

*.*.*

"Did I ever tell you this place used to be full of deathclaws?" Layla said with a grin as she lead Raul through Quarry Junction. Melissa, one of Papa Khan's advisors, was staked out within the quarry.

"No, must have slipped your mind," the ghoul answered flatly.

"It _used_ to be. Boone and I saw to that."

"Seems you two can see to just about anything when you want to," Raul said, sounding a little somber. "I've got to say, I'm not too sure why you took this busted up old man with you."

Layla turned an incredulous look at him over her shoulder.

"You're kidding, right? Why wouldn't I take half of team 'Rescue Layla' when the opportunity arises?"

"Boss, I spent most of that time with a hole in my shin bone, cursing said hole."

"Don't be coy. Boone told me you shot a centurion off him."

"I think he was being nice. He's the one who got his machete caught in the guy's jugular."

Layla gave him a raised eyebrow. "What's this about? You know you're my number one ghoul in the whole world." She hooked an arm in his. "Stop acting like you're a hindrance."

The ghoul didn't answer as they finally crested the hill where a couple Great Khans were camped out. The closest one noted their hooked arms.

"Hurting for a good time, honey? Your friend is one ugly motherfucker!"

Raul was going to say something snappy in response, but Layla beat him to it.

"You're one to talk, bucky. You get any reception on those chompers?"

That shut the man up. Raul looked down at the Courier, who was glaring at the man as they walked past.

"Fucker's lucky. The last person who insulted one of my friends got four stitches and a black eye."

She noted Raul's now raised eyebrow and smiled.

"I may have been slightly inebriated at the time."

"You're a real lady, you know that, boss?"

As she laughed, she noticed a woman with a spiked haircut looking their way. She seemed more curious than hostile, but Raul noticed the hand on her gun.

"You're Melissa?" Layla asked. The woman nodded.

"You're Layla and Raul, the ones Papa Khan's invited to stay with us," she said matter-of-factly. Layla nodded, looking impressed.

"That traveled quick."

"We're in a state of flux," Melissa answered. "Our joining the Legion will change things, and I want to keep informed of the progress, so I've had runners bringing me word of any developments."

"Yeah, about the Legion? I think you might want to rethink joining them," Layla said.

"Why would I want to do that? Karl says I've got the makings for a speculatore."

"Well, that's great, except the Legion doesn't allow women to serve."

"What?" The woman sounded shocked, "No, that's not … Why would he lie about that?" Layla kept pressing.

"Women are sold into slavery in the Legion. If you're 'lucky' you'll be made an officer's wife."

The Khan stared at them for a moment shocked, then her face hardened.

"Why that lying little weasel." She looked down at the quarry with a grimace. "And I almost fell for it. I'm going to tell Papa Khan I'm not supporting any alliance with them." She looked at the few other gathered Khans.

"We're heading back, now!" Turning to Raul and Layla, she spoke again, "Thank you for speaking with me. Let's go back together. It will be night soon."

"Sounds good to me," Layla answered.

*.*.*

It was past dark when they finally got back to Red Rock Canyon. Melissa would be meeting with Papa Khan in the morning, along with Jack and Diane. After dinner, Layla felt antsy and went for a walk around the camp, eventually coming to a stop in front of one of the fire pits.

Footsteps crunched behind her, and she looked up to find Raul coming her way.

"Hey," she said, smiling. "I think this is going well, don't you?"

"I wouldn't count your chickens before they're hatched, boss. If there were any chickens left," the ghoul said, lowering himself to one of the wooden benches by the fire. After a few moments of quiet, Layla spoke up.

"So… what happened to you in Arizona?" she asked carefully, gauging his response. Raul sighed heavily, but it seemed like he'd expected the question. Looking her way, he answered.

"After I left Mexico, I headed north until I got to Tucson."

"Two-Sun?" Layla asked. She'd heard of the area before.

"No. Tucson," he said firmly, and she didn't question him.

"Anyway, I got a little shack and started fixing things. I fixed things for the town, I fixed things for other people, sometimes I just fixed things for the hell of it. It was a better way to use my hands than fighting."

Layla raised an eyebrow at him, and he shrugged.

"I wasn't getting any younger or faster. Hell, I only kept my guns oiled out of professional pride. I kept out of trouble while I was there."

"So how come you're not still there?" she asked. Raul sounded a little more somber as he continued.

"I'd been there for about seventy-five years when Claudia showed up. Prettiest thing you ever saw. Maybe it was a trick of my senile old brain, but she looked just like Rafaela. She ended up taking work in the brothel."

Layla bit her lip, and Raul seemed to notice it.

"I never went to her in that way, how could I? Anyway, I looked after her in my own way.

"Well, one day this tribe, well more of a raider band, showed up. Dirty Dan and his six brothers. They were looking to buy bullets, so I sold them some of mine. I was hoping they'd just keep moving once they got what they wanted…"

"But they didn't…" Layla prompted. Raul shook his head and sighed.

"No they didn't, boss. They went to Claudia's brothel. I don't know how it happened, but I heard screams. By the time I got my guns, they'd already shot four girls and took off with Claudia."

"Did you find her?" the Courier asked, almost afraid to hear what came next.

"I followed them, but they had a head start. Luckily, they slept nights. I didn't. Three days later I found them." He sighed deeply again. "They'd already killed Claudia, put a bullet in each of her eyes. I could only avenge her, like Rafaela."

Layla's stomach turned. Why did every good person in the world seem to have Randall Clark's luck? Find something happy and wait for it to die horribly. Before she could speak, Raul continued.

"I went in firing, managed to kill two of them before they knew I was there. The other five though… they shot the shit out of me."

"How did you survive?"

"By being a meaner cuss than them. I wanted to stay alive until they weren't, so I kept shooting until they were all dead. Once it was over, it took me a long time to work up the strength to haul my carcass back to town. After I recovered, I left, heading west. Eventually I found Tabitha and Black Mountain, and you know the rest…

"I swore to give up gun slinging. I was too old and beat up to protect anyone."

"I beg to differ," Layla said. She thought she detected a smile on the ghoul's face.

"I thought I was done fighting, but traveling around with you, I've had my doubts."

"Doubts?"

"I thought I was too tired and worn out to use my pistols to do what was right, but I think I've changed my mind."

Smiling, Layla looked at her companion.

"I'm glad you feel that way, but there's nothing wrong with being a mechanic either, you know."

"I know, boss."

"Well, it's your choice. Either way I'm happy to have you around," she said with a smile.

They sat in silence for a while, both thinking about what the other had said. Eventually, Layla yawned into her hand, then checked her Pip-Boy. It was past midnight.

"Oh jeez, no wonder I'm falling asleep." She stood, stretching. "I'm heading to bed," she said to Raul.

"All right, boss," he murmured. Layla frowned at his tone. He sounded more somber than she'd ever heard him before. She had to assume he was thinking about Claudia and Rafaela.

"Do you want me to stay up? Couple Nukes and I'll be bouncing off the walls…" she offered. The ghoul waved her off.

"Go on, I could use a break from constant chatter. Not from you, of course."

"Of course," the Courier said, hands on her hips. "Good night, old man."

"Good night, squirt."

Moving away from the campsite, Layla started for the tent Papa Khan had offered her and Raul. She almost went back to the ghoul, her heart still aching from his story. But he'd clearly sent her off, and Layla understood the need to be alone sometimes.

Sighing, she pulled back the flap on the tent and stepped in. Unzipping her sweater, she pulled it off and tossed it on her mattress. Just as she was bending down to work her boots off, she heard a noise at the tent flap.

Straightening up, she started to turn when a hand slapped over her mouth. Reaching for her gun, she felt another hand pulling it from her holster. The hand over her mouth gripped her jaw harder and wrenched her head to the side, and she felt what had to be a needle pricking her skin.

The injection burned into her vein, and she tried to claw at the hand on her mouth, hoping to scream for help before the effects took hold. Whoever she was struggling with kept hold of her easily as she felt herself weakening. She slumped into her attacker as her strength left her and her vision faded.

*.*.*

As soon as the world started to come back to her, Layla knew something was off. Her shoulders were cold. No, not just that. She tried to concentrate past the fuzz in her head. They were cold and uncomfortable. For a moment she figured she'd slept on her arms funny and tried to find a more comfortable position.

As she wriggled, she finally discovered her arms were tied behind her back. Opening her eyes, she found herself in what appeared to be the basement of a pre-war building. The room was sectioned off, and she was locked in a cage with what appeared to be a lot of ammunition. A single Great Khan was sitting in one corner of the room, outside the cage. She was going through a magazine with a bored expression.

"Hey!" she cried at the woman. "What the hell is this?" She stood, leaving the room without answering her. A moment alter, a very smug Karl walked down the stairs, followed by another Khan.

"I should have known," Layla glowered in the Legionary's direction. "You rat. When Papa Khan-"

"Papa Khan thought you'd be an excellent gift to the Legate," Karl interrupted, grinning at her. Layla balked at that.

"He said we were safe…"

"And you believed him." The man shook his head. "Vulpes is right, you are a naïve child."

"Oh you and Vulpes can kiss my ass," the Courier grumbled. She started to test the ropes around her wrists, not surprised to find them well-tied. She couldn't believe Papa Khan had betrayed her. Outwardly, she glared at the frumentarius.

"Too bad we're not getting the matched set," the new Khan said, running a hand over his beard. "Four million's a lot of caps."

"We'll have them both sooner or later, Paul," Karl answered, then turned a grin at Layla. "The sniper will come right to us, especially once he hears of your treatment. We may send pictures."

Layla continued glaring at him, trying to ignore the growing queasy feeling in her stomach. He was right; Boone would come after her. It wouldn't be like the Fort though. They'd all be waiting for him. She had to think of a way out of this or Boone and probably Raul would-

Layla started with the realization, the ghoul wasn't here. Which meant they didn't get him.

"Didn't get Raul, I see," she said smugly. "You might as well untie me now, save him the trouble."

The frumentarius gave her a cold smile, and Layla got the uncomfortable feeling he'd been waiting for her to say that. He moved to the table and picked up a wad of cloth.

"He's not coming for you," he said, unrolling the bundle.

It was a bloody Petro-Chico jumpsuit.


	4. Duel in the Sun

Raul wasn't dead. There was no way. Layla had read enough comic books to know if you didn't see a body, then they're probably not dead. Some tiny rational part of her brain was telling her she was in denial, but she quelled it.

No matter what happened, she needed to get out of this. Even if Raul… wouldn't be able to help her. Getting captured by the Legion was pretty high on her not-good list.

Looking around the caged area, she found herself a little impressed by the amount of ammunition. Why they locked her in with it, she wasn't too sure. She continued cataloging the room and its features, further testing the ropes on her arms as she did. She noticed Paul, the Great Khan that had come down with Karl, looking at her.

"I think we should drug her," he said to the frumentarius, who frowned.

"No," he answered. Layla raised her eyebrows. Figuring the Legionary was still trying to keep up airs about the Great Khan's absorption, she was curious as to what he'd say. "Let her revel in her predicament."

Lame. She would have made up some kind of story about Lanius not liking his merchandise full of needle marks. Either way, it suited her better. If she could just get her hands free, she could pick the cage lock with one of the pins in her hair. Then all she had to do was get a weapon, fight her way through a pack of Great Khans and a frumentarius, then go and find out what actually happened to Raul. Because he wasn't dead.

She hoped.

*.*.*

Regis emerged from his tent, looking around the camp. Something was… off. He didn't know what, though. Melissa, Jack and Diane had already told him their doubts about the Legion, and they planned to confront Papa Khan about breaking the alliance later.

The Courier had certainly lived up to her reputation for getting things done. Regis hadn't expected her to be so quick about it, though. He'd also pictured her taller. When he'd first heard about the woman who'd peacefully negotiated the incident at Boulder City and survived two bullet wounds to the head, quite frankly he'd been expecting a lot of things from the Courier. In real life, she seemed like just a nice kid who was trying to help people.

Walking around the camp, Regis still felt like something was wrong. He almost just chalked it up to the political situation, but that brought a disturbing thought: Karl had been growing ever more irritated since Layla and Raul had shown up. The Courier and her companions had made enemies of the Legion, and now they were here, directly undermining Karl's plans.

Now thoroughly troubled, he decided to check on their guests to see if they were okay. Making his way to their tent, he found the flap closed.

"Hey, Layla?" No answer. "Raul?" Still nothing. He pulled open the flap and looked in.

Neither the woman nor the ghoul were in the tent. There were clear signs of a struggle. One of their bags had been dumped, and there was blood on the ground. Searching further, he found a boot print in the blood, leading out of the tent. He quickly followed it out.

*.*.*

Layla looked around the room, considered her situation again. She was still tied up, still locked in a storage cage, still guarded by an armed Khan. She'd been trying to think of a way to escape, ignoring all parts of her brain that pointed out how impossible it looked.

Layla looked over her current guard; he was a young-looking guy, thumbing through the same magazine her first guard had left behind. He looked restless and slightly annoyed. That was good.

Karl and Paul were gone, and Layla thought she'd heard something about sending for someone to pick her up. That wasn't good, but it did give her time. Looking to the guard, she thought for a moment. Her best course of action was getting the Khan to talk.

"Hey, uh… can I get a drink?"

"Keep it down," he said, still sounding bored. Layla frowned; that had been a weird way to tell her to shut up. Something here wasn't adding up. She decided to dig for information.

"Hey, so, have you guys figured out how you're going to split the bounty yet?"

The guard looked her way, and she continued, "Is it one of those things where Papa Khan gets the money and buys stuff for the tribe, or will you all split it? If I were Papa, I'd go with Plan A, or half of you will end up Fiending-out and getting yourselves killed.

"Papa Khan isn't getting the money directly," the guard said, going back to his magazine. "We'll probably give him most of it if he has a problem with this plan, though."

"What's his problem with the plan?" Layla asked.

The guard started to answer, then stopped himself. "Never you mind," he said instead, going back to his magazine.

"Does Papa Khan even know about this?"

The Khan looked angry. "No more questions. Just sit there and keep your mouth shut until Karl gets back."

Layla nodded; she knew enough now. She pressed her back against the wall firmly, then started screaming. The Khan guard looked shocked for a moment, then moved to silence her. When he got past the cage door and came within range, Layla kicked him solidly, still screaming all the while.

"What in the -!" Karl yelled, suddenly rushing into the room. He leapt at the Courier, dodging her oncoming kick as he slapped a hand over her mouth. She bucked against him, nearly knocking the man off her, but he held on.

By this point, Paul had returned as well, looking over the situation. "How about you listen to me about drugging her?" he suggested, not bothering to keep the smugness out of his tone.

The Legionary grimaced. "Fine, do it."

The Great Khan seemed pleased. "Hold on, I've got something real nice for you, sweetheart," he said to Layla, going for a small case on the table. As he prepped a syringe, Layla struggled harder against Karl. The frumentarius was far stronger than she and had little trouble keeping her still.

As Paul approached with the now-filled syringe, the Courier began struggling desperately. She felt herself staring to panic, remembering the last time she'd been helpless in Great Khan hands. She'd come out of that with a new hole in the head. This time, she'd probably fare far worse. By the time she came around, she'd probably be waking up to a slave collar and her own auction.

As Paul knelt down to her, syringe in hand, Layla couldn't help the frightened noise she made. She hated showing weakness in front of Legionaries, especially the Frumentarii, but all prior thoughts of bravery were gone as she tried to squirm away.

A moment later, she felt the needle puncture her arm, and her last clear thoughts were of Raul's bloody jumpsuit and that no one would be coming to rescue her…

*.*.*

Regis followed the trail of blood leading out of the tent and further into the canyon. By now, he'd heard about the bounty the Legion had put on Layla. They wanted her alive, but the condition of the tent and the blood trail left him wondering if they'd had to take extreme measures. Whatever the case, he doubted Karl could have done this on his own.

A cold anger started building in the Khan's chest. If one of his people violated Papa Khan's guarantee of safety for caps, he'd skin them alive. Honor was one of the few things the Khans had left, and to throw it away like this was despicable.

Just at that thought had crossed his mind, he found the blood trail had stopped. Looking around, he found himself among several storage containers. Sighing, he stated looking them over, expecting to find the Courier and her friend's bodies crammed into one of the boxes.

He spotted an area where something had been dragged on the ground. Following the trail, he found it led around a stack of crates. Behind the crates was a dead Great Khan.

Regis stared at the body for a moment. It was Julian, one of the younger members. He'd been shot cleanly through the forehead.

As he examined the body, he heard gravel crunching behind him. Before he could turn, Regis felt what could only be the barrel of a gun jab him in the back. He let out a grunt; whoever had jammed the gun into him had probably been aiming for his kidney on purpose. He put his hands up.

"Where is she?" he heard from behind him as his gun was taken from its holster.

"Layla? I don't know," he said. "I'm looking for her too."

"Wrong answer." His attacker sounded calm but there was fury in his tone. "Was this your plan the whole time? Roll out the welcome mat until we let our guards down? Was two million caps too much to ignore, or is she a present for your new masters?" Regis had to bite back a groan as the gun was pressed harder into him.

"Damn it, I don't know what's happened," he answered. "I went check on you and found your tent was ripped up. I think it was Karl, maybe a few idiot Khans still listening to what he had to say, but neither I nor Papa Khan had anything to do with it."

There was a pause, and the gun was removed. Turning, he found Raul glaring at him. His jumpsuit was gone, replaced with a bandoleer-covered dark brown cowboy get up. Half his face was covered in dried blood, and he looked furious.

"Do Khans usually break their word?"

"No," Regis groaned. "Listen, the way things have been, some of us are desperate, and Karl's been making promises that sound exactly like what we want. And some of us are fucking stupid."

"Where would they have taken her?" the ghoul asked, his anger fading slightly.

Regis thought for a moment. "The armory. If she's still in the canyon, this would be the place to hold her." He sighed. "I can't promise you she's still alive…"

"She will be," Raul said tightly. "The Legion wants to make her an example."

"How are we going to do this?" Regis asked as Raul handed back his gun. The ghoul's grimace intensified.

"I'm going to go down there and kill everything that isn't Layla."

*.*.*

Hazy. Everything was hazy. She didn't know what was going on, but she felt tired, like she could barely keep herself awake. Finally, she gave up and closed her eyes against the murkiness that blocked her vision, only to find that sleep wouldn't come.

Maybe it was because she was uncomfortable; her arms were twisted funny. She tried to move them, but couldn't.

There was a sudden, loud noise and Layla suddenly remembered she was supposed to be scared about something. She couldn't remember what it was, but as the air filled with shouts and loud bangs, she started panicking. By now she had determined she was lying on her side, and tried to sit up. Her body didn't respond after a few attempts, so she managed to pull her knees up to her chin and waited, trembling.

A few moments later, the loud noises stopped. There was the sound of metal grating against the ground, and footsteps approached her. She could feel hands on her arms, and she tried to squirm away. Whoever was touching her let go and suddenly she could move her hands.

Someone was talking, but Layla couldn't make out the words. Whoever it was spoke in a soothing voice. She felt the hands on her arms again, this time noticing the rough and smooth patches of skin. There was a smell too, something familiar. A mix of engine grease, gunpowder and flesh. Raul, it was Raul.

The hands moved away again, but she reached out for them, whimpering. The arms were back a moment later, wrapping around her protectively. It took her a few moments to realize she'd started crying with relief.

* * *

><p>Thank you for reading. Also thank you if you happen to write a review or favorite me. Next Wednesday, we'll finish this story. The Wednesday after that, on my 11th anniversary of being a member, we will begin "For Science!"<p>

**8/15/11 UPDATE: Due to a back injury I sustain during the weekend, the final chapter of "Golden Years" will posted on Saturday instead of Wednesday of this week. The following Wednesday we will continue with "For Science!"**


	5. They Died With Their Boots On

Layla woke up to the feeling of a moderately comfortable bed. Her eyes felt gummy, so she didn't bother opening them while she basked in moderate comfort. After a moment, she took the time to try to remember where she'd fallen asleep. This certainly wasn't her bed at the Lucky 38, or Novac. Not an NCR bunk; those weren't very comfortable. Nor was it the bed from the spare room the King had offered her a few times. No, this was an unfamiliar bed.

So where was she? After a few moments of fuzzy thought, she remembered what was going on: Karl and some of the Great Khans were going to hand her over to the Legion. She sat bolt upright, thinking for a horrible moment that she was in Lanius' bed.

Eyes open now, she found she was in the small bedroom of a pre-war house. Sitting on a chair near the bed was Papa Khan. The horror came back as she thought the Khan leader had changed his mind about turning her over.

The Khan looked surprised as she backed away from him, looking around for a weapon. He stood and put his hands up in a placating gesture as he spoke.

"Calm down, cub. You're safe."

She didn't buy it, even if the rational part of her brain was calmly telling her she wasn't tied down or drugged. Shaking away the thought, she nearly toppled over, feeling woozy. Sat up too quick, breathing too hard. Just as she spied a glass drinking cup she could break and use as a weapon, Raul walked in.

"Woah, boss! It's okay," he said quickly, moving to the bed. Relief crashed over her as she saw the ghoul, both from seeing a trusted companion and from realizing he was alive. He sat next to her on the bed, and she launched herself into his arms.

"W-what happened?" she asked, trying to fight off tears as the adrenaline started to wear off. "They said you were dead. What happened to you?" She looked up at him. "Why are you wearing a big sombrero?"

Raul chuckled as he held her. "Everything's okay. When I got to the tent, it was pretty clear someone had taken you. Well, I guess they figured they'd take out the old ghoul when I showed up, cause one of them was waiting for me."

Gasping, Layla pulled away from him enough to look him over. The bandages on his face and around his head weren't the most expertly done job she'd seen, but they were clean.

"I met up with Regis, and after bruising his kidney, we rushed the armory where they were holding you. Now Karl can give his regards to Caesar in hell." He said the last part a little more savagely than Layla was used to hearing from the old ghoul.

"And the hat?"

"This is my old vaquero costume, boss."

"Oh." She moved back to look at him better. Layla had expected something far more garish than the brown leather, partially armored outfit covered in bullet belts and knives. In all honesty it made him look a lot scarier than she would have imagined, except for that hat.

"Huh, well, I approve," she said, trying to keep her eyes from lingering on the sombrero again.

"The hat stays," Raul said firmly. She bit her lip, grinning.

"The Great Khans have broken our promise to you," Papa Khan said gravely, bringing them back to the current situation. Looking over Raul's shoulder at the man, Layla frowned.

"It's not all your fault. Regis helped save me, after all," she said thoughtfully. "And I'm assuming all responsible parties are dead?" she asked, looking Raul's way. The ghoul simply nodded. Papa Khan looked unconvinced.

"My advisors have spoken to me about the lies Karl spread," he continued. "The Great Khans almost lost everything to the Legion." His tone turned even more somber. "I'm an old warrior, and my tribe has endured many hardships. We're now just a ghost of what we where. Caesar was supposed to give us purpose again. Where will find our glory now?"

Layla sat back against frame of the bed, thinking. She was still a little woozy; all she could think about for a moment was that despite the only moderate comfort of Papa Khan's bed, his pillows were first-rate. Mentally forcing herself back to the matter at hand, she frowned.

"Go find your own glory," she said finally. "I don't think there's going to be much for you here in the Mojave. Even if you'd joined with the Legion, you would have found your end along with them." She said the last part more menacingly than she'd expected, but the effect on the Khan was what she wanted as he gave her a thoughtful, but grim look.

The old Khan nodded slowly. "We can regroup and grow strong again."

"I wish you well," Layla said, then bit her lip. "Just… maybe it's time to go easy on people? Making a pile of enemies got you into this mess, and there are other ways to survive beyond raiding…"

The Khan gave her a slightly incredulous look, which melted into a thoughtful expression. Standing, he moved for the door.

"Rest, cub. When you are well, you can let the NCR know the Khans will trouble them no more."

Layla nodded fractionally. She realized she'd never told anyone at Red Rock of her association with the NCR, but the Courier figured it was probably obvious.

*.*.*

Colonel Moore sighed heavily after Layla finished her report. The Courier had decided to skirt around the whole 'nearly-got-turned-over-to-the-Legion' and 'the-Khans-were-already-joining-the-Legion-when-we-got-there' parts of the story, instead opting to tell the woman they were leaving the Mojave, planning to bothering the NCR and its lands no more.

Layla had hoped that would be enough to make the brass happy. Going by the irritated way the Colonel was writing down what she'd said, however, she figured the other woman wasn't pleased.

"I suppose the matter is settled," Moore said, sounding irritated. "You should have made your solution permanent."

Frowning, the Courier gave a non-committal shrug. Moore scowled faintly, but put the folder away. Layla was starting to think her earlier assumption that things would go smoothly with the Colonel was premature. She also was starting to see what other people had warned her about. If Layla didn't know better, she'd think the woman was half ready to strangle her.

The colonel was going through folders, not speaking to either her or Raul. The ghoul had kept quiet during the meeting. Layla had noticed people were already acting differently around him as they traveled. The occasional mumbled or blatant insults were gone, replaced by people getting out of his way and not making eye contact.

That suited Layla fine for two reasons: one, she didn't want to have to get into drunken bar fights with everyone in the Mojave to defend the ghoul's honor. And two, it was nice having a few companions people were afraid of on sight.

Colonel Moore cleared her throat, getting Layla's attention again.

"For now, we've got some preparations to deal with before we give you another assignment. Will you be at the Lucky 38?"

"Probably," Layla answered. "If you send a messenger, have them speak to one of the securitrons."

The colonel nodded. "Very good. We'll be in touch."

The room suddenly felt like it'd just dropped a few more degrees, and Layla took that to mean they'd been dismissed. She stood, thinking to say goodbye to the woman, but she looked engrossed in her reports. Getting a shrug from Raul, she left the office. Once they were out of earshot, the ghoul chuckled.

"I don't think she likes you, boss."

"I think you're right." Layla frowned. "I just hope she doesn't reduce our workload. These ranger missions are neat."

"Is 'neat' how the kids are saying 'likely to get killed or kidnapped' these days?"

"Oh don't be a wet blanket."

*.*.*

"So…" Layla started as she and Raul were walking through Freeside, "are we going to tell anyone about what happened at Red Rock?" Raul smirked as he scanned the area for more marauding Freeside junkies.

"Are you suggesting we deliberately hide the truth from our friends? Cause that would be wrong."

Layla bit her lip. "Come on, it's just going to worry them. Nothing happened."

Raul understood why she wanted to keep this quiet; Arcade and Boone. Both men were worriers, though they showed it in different ways. Arcade would demand to give her a medical examination, then explain why she should stop getting kidnapped. Boone wouldn't lecture, just hover around her protectively until someone, probably Cass, would scream at him to 'just fuck her and get it over with!'

The girls wouldn't be too worried once it was confirmed the Courier was okay. Layla herself had taken the ordeal in stride once it was over, chalking it up to a 'misunderstanding' concerning the Khans. She looked his way, her pout melting into an accusing look.

"I know you're dying to let everyone know you shot up a room full of evil kidnappers to rescue me, including another one of the God damned frumentarii."

Raul laughed. "I guess you've got me there. I'm a sucker for war stories, but no one's going to be impressed about saving you. Half the Mojave's saved you from getting kidnapped by the other half."

"Oh ha ha ha." She bit her lip. "Thank you, by the way."

"For what?" Raul asked, and Layla gave him an incredulous look.

"For saving me from a Legionary shotgun wedding, duh."

"Ah." He looked down the next alley they passed, finding it empty. "Well, if I'd let you get in trouble, I'd have a lot of angry people waiting for me back at the 38. I like having access to running water, so I figured I'd better keep you in one piece. That, and Boone would get all moody and wouldn't want to play cards."

"Uh huh," she said. "Well, I'm glad I didn't ruin that for you."

"Me too, boss."

Smirking, Raul watched the girl gingerly stepped over another hole in the broken pavement. She still got an occasional dizzy spell, and she still looked a little flushed from her drugging. He hated to break it to the Courier, but Arcade was going to know she'd been on something within moments of seeing her. And Layla had a hard time keeping these kinds of secrets anyway. The first time Boone asked her if there was trouble, she'd spill the whole story.

At least this story had a happy ending; the ghoul hadn't thought he'd be able to save her when it had become obvious she'd been taken. There had been no reason to think so, except his track record. The women he cared about always seemed to suffer no matter how he tried to protect them. Grinning slightly, he looked at the Courier as she put her sarsaparilla badge back on. She pinned another one on his vaquero jacket.

"Well, I admit the star looks a lot better on this get-up," she said, then sighed dramatically. "Even with the hat."

Raul laughed, glad he'd been able to do more than just avenge her.

* * *

><p>I hope you've enjoyed 'Golden Years.' Thank you for your patience with this update, I couldn't sit up straight until three days ago from an injury. Anywho, thanks to all who have read, reviewed, favorited and alerted this and all my stories :3<p>

Tune in Wednesday, when we will begin 'For Science!"


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